A familiarization trip, or FAM trip, is a business action in which the Porvoo region or a Porvoo-based company showcases its operations and services to tour operators or other potential B2B clients. The FAM trip is a crucial marketing tool for Porvoo as it allows tour operators to experience real customer experiences, enabling them to recommend these experiences to their own clients.

Familiarization trips serve as a tool not only for Porvoo as a tourist destination and Visit Porvoo but also for local businesses aiming to place their products in the portfolios of tour operators, thereby increasing sales. The FAM trip represents a significant investment in terms of time and money for both tour operators and the hosting entity. Its execution requires meticulous planning to ensure that the right buyers meet the right sellers, alongside international product development and investment in hosting tour operators.

Key aspects of a successful familiarization trip:

• Making a good impression and leaving a strong memory of Porvoo.
• Establishing new customer relationships and expanding the network both nationally and internationally.
• Enhancing profile competitiveness and getting products listed in the portfolios of tour operators and travel agencies.
• Improving operations based on feedback received.

Responsibilities of Visit Porvoo:

• Facilitating the arrival of groups in Porvoo, coordinating the visit program to fit schedules and arrangements with various stakeholders, and acting as a contact person and host during the visits.
• Selecting only potential touristically viable customer groups from Finland or international target markets.
• Requiring detailed pre-information about participating guests, including the company they represent, the products of interest, preferred seasons, and visit objectives, to plan a fruitful program from both visitors’ and service providers’ perspectives.
• Covering intra-city transfers if necessary for program execution and if groups/visitors lack their own transportation.
• Covering potential city tours with a knowledgeable guide in the visitors’ language (when possible) if the tour is seen to support the goals of the familiarization trip.
• Ensuring each visit destination/company has sufficient time to showcase its services/products.
• Not funding programs or refreshments during presentations. Visit Porvoo does not pay for services or products that are core products of the tourism companies and that visitors experience firsthand to assess their suitability for their own clients.

Companies/destinations during the visit:

• The tourism company organizes company or product presentations for visitors within the agreed program and schedule framework.
• The tourism company contributes to achieving the goals of the familiarization trip by making a good impression on visitors and leaving a strong memory of its services.
• Tip: A ready-made information package about the company, including at least sales contacts and the company’s website, is usually considered useful.
• Tourism companies can contact Visit Porvoo if they receive direct inquiries about FAM visits, where Visit Porvoo could assist in coordination. Requests are handled individually with tourism entrepreneurs, with improving the region’s attractiveness as a priority.

Influencer Collaborations:

Visit Porvoo systematically carries out influencer collaborations related to various thematic areas, individually agreed upon with the chosen influencer.

The influencer arranges and reserves the services used during the collaboration directly from the service provider, provides Visit Porvoo with an advance plan of the program, included services, offered visibility, and total price.

Restaurants:

If the FAM visit program requires catering between visits, Visit Porvoo organizes this in the most cost-effective manner possible according to each specific situation.